3 Things We NEED for TEACHERS to STOP Doing RIGHT now

Unpopular opinion coming at you right now, we need for teachers to stop doing these 3 things to encourage student success. And spoiler alert they probably aren’t what you think…

Stop EDUCATING students!

Wait, WHAT?!?!

Stop educating students for the test, admin, and expectations and INSTEAD keep making connections, building community, and working to help children fall in love with school. We are teachers, why would we stop educating? 

Hear me out, it’s time to help our young (and seasoned students) love school again, And we are not going to do that by teaching AT them. We won’t do that by standardizing random facts and placing arbitrary deadlines on their learning and mastery. Yes, I primarily taught young students but this applies to all ages, and grade levels. 

Bring back community, bring back relationships over everything else, we need for teachers to bring back fun and exciting activities in cozy workspaces, and most importantly bring back a love of learning for the sake of learning. 

Skills Teachers Need to Have…

Stop WORRYING over what tomorrow, next week, and the next school year will look like (unless you are an admin -then I’ve got nothin’ since your job is to worry about all those things for your educators)

I keep seeing teachers stressing over what the next season may look like. 

• Will my class have 30 students? 
• Will I have any help in the classroom? 
• Will I be able to take time off for my own health. 
• We still have a sub shortage?
• How will I manage behaviors by myself?

Instead of worrying about concerns out of our control let’s work to set up intentional environments. Now why would I start here? Because I want you to know that setting up your learning environment to support your students will actually be the magic trick in your bag of classroom management tricks. 

So ditch the behavior charts (all they do is cause more stress and overwhelm anyway) and work on creating calming learning spaces. No matter where they may be. Let’s work on making lasting connections with our students. Let’s find unique ways to include family connections in everything we do! The rest is just details. 

And I get it, believe me. I am detail-oriented, Type A, Enneagram 1. There is nothing in life that makes my heart happier than a plan. But I have learned through the last few years that plans change with or without me, and how I deal with that fact is what makes me the educator I am. I realized that my carefully planned environment was a better indicator of how my students would behave than any system I could purchase on TPT. 

I realized that by including families as part of our learning community, everyone was less stressed about the unknowns and felt safe enough to send their students to school. Realizing that I needed nothing more than a bucket of chalk, some fresh air, and imagination was the catalyst. I could teach anything, anywhere! We need for teachers to embrace the big wide world as a classroom!

Name Something Every Teacher Needs to Fulfill Their Heart…

TIME. Teachers as a group always feel there is never enough time to get it all done. If you teach in a “traditional” program you know the stress of getting through the required curriculum and trying to add in the fun activities at the same time. But the best way to combat that is to make your own time. 

Stop WAITING until…

• your next break to get all the appointments in
• weekends to plan
• nights to grade
• later to eat
• a prep period to use the bathroom
• whatever you are waiting UNTIL for...

Just so you know I am talking to myself here too. In years past, waiting until the end of the year makes my first two weeks of summer not feel like summer at all. It’s filled with appointments, finalizing Cum files, organizing my classroom disaster, and more appointments. Putting off your health and wellness can be catastrophic -so stop waiting. Waiting until the end of the year to have my spinal fusion was just silly. Because guess what, two years later I needed a second one anyway, and 4 years after that I had an emergency one in mid-September. Hello back to school season. Take care of yourself, before you have no choice but to take emergency time off. 

I also see so many first-year teachers eating at the copy machine! Now I know that using the beast is a strategically calculated thing in many schools, but stop sacrificing your lunch for copies. (Your students will learn better with a hands-on activity anyway– but that’s another conversation for another day!)

Use your planning and prep periods for what they are meant for. Planning and prep! Grading, organizing, and getting ready can all be achieved in school if you are planned, prepped, and prepared. And again this one’s for me (stop procrastinating). Taking papers to and from school never to be looked at while at home becomes a stressor that most educators don’t know they carry. So find ways to leave it at school, so you can enjoy your life outside of the classroom. Burnout is real and the fastest way to burn out is to feel like it never ends. 

I have taught in the early years for the bulk of my career. I know that in order to provide fun enticing activities it really truly never turns off. But finding ways to turn it off outside the work week will allow your brain to refresh and ultimately increase your creativity. 

Stop waiting until you have the perfect day to get outside. Stop waiting until the curriculum is covered bevfore you add fun and play into your day. Instead START there. Start your planning with play and fun, and fill in the blanks with the requirements. Everyone will be better for it. 

What Does Every Teacher Need in Their Classroom?

Creating an environment that ultimately becomes a teacher in its own right allows you more time for yourself. I create a running list of all the activities I want to create and when I get some time I will make one or two while watching TV, as a way to unwind during the year, etc. But one thing I stopped doing a few years ago was spending every weekend trying to make all the things! We need for teachers to be able to have their own lives outside of the classroom.

Check out the 5 step plan to help you create a well-organized and meaningful classroom space. Let’s get your space prepped and then move on to enjoy your next break. You have definitely earned it!